A flanking cavalry maneuver by Habsburg forces forced the Hungarian Revolutionary Army to retreat at Szőreg, contributing to the collapse of Hungarian resistance in 1849.
Key Facts
- Date
- 5 August 1849
- Hungarian Commander
- Lt. Gen. Henryk Dembiński
- Austrian Commander
- Field Marshal Julius Jacob von Haynau
- Key tactical feature
- Artillery batteries at Kamaratöltés
- Austrian flanking crossing
- Between Törökkanizsa and Makó
- Notable casualty
- Dembiński wounded during battle
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Austrian army advanced on Szeged, a heavily fortified city in southern Hungary. Hungarian commander Dembiński chose to abandon the city's fortifications and withdraw to Szőreg near the Tisza river, positioning artillery batteries at Kamaratöltés to block a direct frontal assault by Haynau's forces.
On 5 August 1849, Haynau countered by dispatching cavalry to cross the Tisza between Törökkanizsa and Makó, outflanking the Hungarian defensive line. A major cavalry engagement erupted in and around Szőreg, during which Dembiński himself was wounded as both mounted forces clashed.
Despite being outflanked, the Hungarian army managed an orderly retreat rather than suffering a complete rout. The battle nonetheless weakened Hungarian resistance in the region and formed part of the broader Austrian campaign that ultimately suppressed the Hungarian Revolution of 1848.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Henryk Dembiński.
Side B
1 belligerent
Julius Jacob von Haynau.